Palmeiras Beats Fluminense on Aggregate to Reach 2026 Libertadores Final

The tie: two legs, one Brazilian rival eliminated

Palmeiras and Fluminense met across two legs for a place in the 2026 Copa Libertadores final. The first leg was played on Oct. 14, 2026, at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, where Palmeiras won 2-1, according to Palmeiras' official website and CNN Brasil. Flaco López put Palmeiras ahead on a counterattack set up by Piquerez, and Marlon Freitas doubled the lead with a volley after a pass from Felipe Anderson. Wesley Natã scored a header for Fluminense in second-half stoppage time. CNN Brasil reported an attendance of more than 69,000 at the Maracanã. A Yahoo Sports preview listed the first-leg date as Oct. 15; most other outlets, including Palmeiras' own site and CNN Brasil, dated it Oct. 14.

CNN Brasil's match account said Fluminense controlled possession for long stretches in the first half, with chances created by Canobbio, Ganso, Nonato and Hulk, while Palmeiras relied on quick counterattacks and a defensive setup under coach Abel Ferreira to protect the lead.

The second leg at Nubank Parque

The return match kicked off on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time at Nubank Parque in São Paulo, according to ESPN Brasil and Terra. Going in, Palmeiras held the advantage: a draw or any win would send the club to the final, while Fluminense needed to win by two goals to advance outright, or by one goal to force a penalty shootout, both outlets reported.

According to Sofascore's match page for the fixture, the tie's aggregate score stood at 2-1 in Palmeiras' favor across the two legs, confirming Palmeiras' passage to the final. The page lists the match as part of the Conmebol Libertadores knockout stage, semifinals, kicking off at 00:30 UTC on Oct. 22 — the equivalent of 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 in Brasília.

Team news going into the decider

Both squads were missing key players for the second leg, according to a Yahoo Sports preview. Palmeiras was without Gustavo Gómez and Agustín Giay, both suspended, plus Vitor Roque (ankle sprain) and Jefté (meniscus tear). Fluminense's absentees included Martinelli (knee injury), Guilherme Arana (suspended after five yellow cards), Germán Cano (hamstring injury), Matheus Reis (knee ligament inflammation), John Kennedy (torn cruciate ligament) and Alisson (hip flexor issue).

• Palmeiras out: Gustavo Gómez (suspended), Agustín Giay (suspended), Vitor Roque (ankle), Jefté (meniscus)
• Fluminense out: Martinelli (knee), Guilherme Arana (suspended), Germán Cano (hamstring), Matheus Reis (knee), John Kennedy (ACL), Alisson (hip flexor)

The same preview noted Palmeiras arrived on the back of a 2-0 league win over Athletico Paranaense, while Fluminense had lost its previous league match 1-2 to Santos.

Palmeiras' official website added historical context: the club reached 101 goals in 2026 across 59 matches, defender Gustavo Gómez holds the record for most Copa Libertadores wins by a player for a single club (60), and this was Palmeiras' 13th Libertadores semifinal appearance, the sixth in the past seven years. The same source said Palmeiras is the only Brazilian club to reach the knockout stage in each of the last 10 Copa Libertadores editions.

What comes next

Palmeiras' opponent in the final will be the winner of the other 2026 semifinal between Flamengo and Estudiantes, according to ESPN Brasil. The final is scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026, at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay, Terra reported.

Terra also reported the financial stakes: reaching the final guarantees a minimum of US$7 million (about 36 million reais), while winning the title raises that to up to US$25 million (about 129 million reais) — a gap of roughly US$18 million between champion and runner-up.